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Come Follow Me

"And he saith unto them, "Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matt. 4:19) As the New Year begins, we, the members of the Willow Wood Ward, invite you to Come and Follow Him!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Sister Sydney Burningham

Hey y'all,

Sometimes I try to sound southern, still not working that well, but I'm giving it my best shot. Haha, I love it out here in Tennessee especially in Kingsport. I guess I will start out by telling you a little bit about Sister Training Leaders and our responsibilities. We had zone meeting and we met with our Zone Leaders Elder Schouten and Garber and the Assistants Elder Mills and Robinson to talk about what we are responsible for. Basically there are too many sisters on missions and the Elders can't handle all of the concerns and problems the sisters are having at times so that's where we come in. We do 6 exchanges a transfer, one a week with each companionship in our zone. We report to our district leader and speak with our zone leaders about any problems or things we would like them to train on for the sisters we are trying to help. We also are going to do weekly planning sessions with them and give them insight and new ideas about what we have done in the past that has worked. I love these girls, they are incredible missionaries and they just want to be the best they can be. It will be such a blessing to work with them and help them with missionary work. I will admit I feel very inadequate, my companion Sister Bedke has been out a year and has much more experience than me, as do most of the sisters in my zone but I am trying to just trust the Lord and try to understand I have things to offer these girls even with my limited experience. My companion is AMAZING, she's from Pleasant View, Utah went to Weber High School and graduated a year before me, in 2009. She is kind and so loving, such an incredible teacher and just wants to work hard. We talk about everything and I feel so comfortable with her. I haven't had any hard companions yet so I consider that such a blessing. Anyway, it has been a CRAZY week to say the least but with a lot of prayer, study and experience I am finding strength I never knew I had.

Well, we had a heartbreaker this week. Beth decided not to be baptized on June 8th. Man, that was a hard day. Her husband basically gave her the option between him and the church but she has a date set for mid-july so we just pray everyday she'll get there. She has the strongest testimony and she was at church yesterday, it was just a really hard thing because there was nothing I could do. We still meet with her a lot and she is working towards getting baptized and her husband is slowly warming up to the idea. On the brighter side we have 2 other baptismal committments. Pam Mitchell is an old southern black lady that is really struggling financially. Sister Johnson and I found her at her home outside, she keeps telling us she runs away from people like us (whatever that means haha) but for some reason she could not move, she waited, we prayed with her and she is all the way to Jarom in the Book of Mormon, it is incredible. She set a date for June 29th and came to church yesterday, she said every single talk and comment was made for her. We took her some food to get through the week and we will go with her to get some church clothes from some members for her and Devonte for church next week. Words cannot express my love for this woman. When Devonte heard she was getting baptized he said "Mamma, can I get baptized too?" So needless to say this will be an amazing experience for them and we can't wait to be their guides the rest of the way, she has to overcome a few things but with the Lord, anything is possible.

I am witnessing miracles.

"It is easier to give yourself to Him, to surrender your will to His, than it is to fight the fight within. It is easier to give yourself to Him, than it is to wrestle in your heart and soul between what you want and what the Lord wants. Do not just look the part of a disciple of Christ, BE a disciple of Christ."

The gospel will bring everlasting happiness, I experience it and see it everyday.

Thank you for the prayers, love and support. I love you all so much, have a great week!

Elder McCade Tracy

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Elder Brandon Wallis

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When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product... And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do. We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true.

Come Join with Us

Come, Join with Us, Regardless of your circumstances, there is room for you in this church!

President Monson "Share the Gospel of Christ," April Conference 2013

"...for to each of us comes the mandate to share the gospel of Christ. May I suggest a formula that will ensure our success: first, search the scriptures with diligence; second, plan your life with purpose (and, I might add, plan your life regardless of your age); third, teach the truth with testimony; and fourth, serve the Lord with love."